The Academy
by Kixar
Summary: Dark times are beginning to settle over the elite Shinigami school, The Academy. Strange things have been going on. A series of murders have been uncovered. Truths turn into lies. Lies turn to truths. Enemies turn to friends. Friends and lovers, become enemies. What will happen when a newly Resurrected Shinigami-Fledgling gets trapped in his worst nightmare... and he can't escape?
1. Prologue

_It was dark._

_Ronald was worried. He wasn't comfortable here, wherever he is, in the dark. As a matter of fact, it was scary. Especially when he saw that maddened look in Spear's eyes after Ronald caught him doing... that... When Ronald saw that smile, he had ran away like his life depended on it._

_Actually, it did. He knew for a fact his life depended on him running._

_A gag forced its way up Ronald's throat. As he held his hand tight over his mouth, a sob wracked his chest. Surely he was going to die tonight. He was positive. Shinigami-fledglings who knew of The Academy, the Shinigami themselves, or anything about "The Afterlife" before they even became fledglings tended to... disappear if they said anything about their previous knowledge to anyone._

_Ronald knew this, already though._

_His brother, Oliver, had ran away from home when Ronald was seventeen, stating he was ready for the world and wanted to see what it had in store for him. Three years later, Oliver had sent him a message tied to a large envelope saying he "graduated his schooling." Ronald was happy for his brother but when he opened the envelope his eyes were fixated on the twenty, well worn papers that lay inside behind the letter. Within those pages, Oliver had wrote about the Shinigami, stating they were more than an old legend their mother had told them the night of Halloween. Oliver had documented everything about the bedtime stories both he and Ronald used to hear. Their eyes, their scythes, their work, the fledglings, the Cinematic Record, the enemies of the Shinigami... There were sketches, labels, even a map of The Academy and lists of instructor names, infamous Demons, even humans that were important enough to "cheat death." He had given every single detail to Ronald enthusiastically, as though he were in the mortal realm, in mortal college, enjoying the simplicity of human life. But he told Ronald he was a changed person. He said that he didn't age, gain or lose weight, was able to jump at incredible heights and run as fast as lightning. He even said he was strong enough to take on any man, mortal or not. To Ronald, this was an extremely confusing world but he wanted to be in it. To see his brother, to see this new, strange world for himself but something was holding him back. _

_It was the final page of the document. It held only two lines:_

_"Keep this safe and hidden away from everyone but you._

_This is our little secret, Ronnie. Don't tell a single soul. They _can_ and _will_ find you if that happens."_

_Now Ronald understood._

_He had slipped up and told Alan, his roommate, his friend, about his secret. And now, while he was in the dark with the memory of Spears, the go-to Shinigami, the hard worker, the gorgeous, charming and bad-boy Council President, looming over Alan's beaten body with a madman's smile, Ronald knew his time was up. He was going to end up like Alan; beaten, broken and lifeless._

_And the last thing he'll see is William T. Spears leaning down to watch the life fade from Ronald's eyes with a smile that made even the worst of Demons cower in fear. _


	2. Wonderful

_**Well hello there! This is my first ever fanfic, so be nice, ha-ha. I am basing this story off of the OVA**__**The Story of Will the Reaper**__**and the scenes when both William and Grell are getting paired up for their Final Exam. I was wondering what that whole story was taken further back to when the whole Dispatch Team - including Ronald, Eric, and Alan - were still in school, so to speak, and this is what I came up with. I'm a serious Ronilliam and Slingphries fan and I... I... *nosebleeds everywhere. I promise for all of you yaoi, lemon, fluffy loving fans,**_that_**is coming up later in the story! Ha-ha. Anyways, I apologize in advance for any mistakes and/or slow updates for the future and absolutely love CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and will try and fulfill any suggestions you might have. Please, don't bash on my story or anything else. If you don't like it, don't read it and if you do read it, don't say how much you hate it. It's annoying. Okay, I'm rambling... *facepalm. One more thing, this story takes place after the Final Exam, but there is one more year of schooling for the soon-to-be Dispatch Team! Enjoy the story, ha-ha. Rated M due to language and for later on, yaoi/lemon. **_

_**I do not own Kuroshitsuji, or any of the characters in it. This is an entirely fan-based story.**_

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It was a particularly bright, early Monday morning as a tall, lean and dark haired shinigami-fledgling stepped out of the fourth-year wing and onto the stone sidewalk surround the still misty Courtyard, emerald eyes scanning the area with a calm, calculating gaze behind simple, wire framed spectacles. He buttoned up his uniform jacket before his loose tie, hanging gently around his neck, was pulled tight and was straightened in a swift move to cover his neck more as the fresh, cold morning air nipped at the previously exposed skin. He felt annoyed to look so formal this early and made a face to himself as he pulled on the leather gloves on his hands, already banishing the thought of going back to his dorm to grab a scarf when he knew he wouldn't be needing it in the afternoon.

He was in a certain mood this morning. He was not only annoyed about formal appearances but was also stressed. It was a normal feeling for him to have due to getting good, passing grades with his classes and his duties as the Fledgling-President of The Academy, but today was a day where his stress peaked to its highest point... He couldn't wait for the day to be over already.

It was the start of a new year. For him and a few other people he knew, this was a good thing. That meant that their final year of Academy schooling was beginning. It meant that they had passed their final Field-Exams and were well on their way to begin Dispatch work and to be getting new glasses - Gods know how they needed them. On the other hand, a final year for a shinigami-fledgling meant one more final test. This test was to see if they could handle teaching and training a brand-new fledgling.

_The_ joys_ of becoming a fourth-year, _he thought bitterly.

With a sigh, he put his hands into his pockets and began walking along the pathway, eyes constantly roving the Courtyard's many stone benches, tables and statues, intending to find a certain someone... Gods, how long has it been since he last saw him? At the thought of this, his mouth goes dry and his stomach suddenly churns. He _needed_ to find him this morning. He would make this stress a little more tolerable...

His pace quickens as he begins to weave in and out through the Courtyard, having no luck with finding his person of interest lounging about.

With an irritated "tch" sound, he crosses to the other side of the area, his mind now beginning to become slightly crazed with desire. Logic, though, enters his thoughts for a moment and he considers that his friend might still be in bed. He pulls out his hand and checks his watch, yet another irritated "tch" making itself known as _5:43_ _a.m._ settles into his brain. His friend would be up by now. He was sure of it.

Deciding to best not take any more precious time - he was a busy student after all - he makes his way back to the fourth-year wing only to halt dead in his tracks right as his hand rests on the large, dark metal handle of the doors.

He could smell it. That sweet, smoky smell. And it was strong... but was mingling with another smell additionally but he couldn't find the correct identification to name the other scent due to it being overpowered by the other.

His head snaps to the general direction of the smell, his soft, spiky bangs swaying on his forehead slightly with the force, and he straightens up, intending to find the source. He walks slowly, silently, following his nose towards the area where the smell was coming from and soon locates it. It was coming from behind the very large, nearly over-grown rosebush directly in front of him just near the East Wall.

Standing still and barely breathing, he leans forward and peers through the branches, attempting to see who it was that was behind but his eyes become distracted as he gazes upwards at the twirling, almost iridescent trail of white smoke rising up slowly before disappearing into the air. He tries to peer through the branches again and soon a smile spreads across his face. Quickly, he rounds the corner eagerly.

"William!" A Scottish voice says loudly, smoke coming out of his mouth as his oriental dragon pipe is pulled away. "Thought I wouldn't be seein' ya this mornin'!"

"Morning to you, Eric," William says coolly, though it was obvious he was excited as well to see the other. "Still lounging on benches?" He smirks, noting how comfortable the blonde Scotsman looked stretched out on the bench against the wall behind him. William's smirk hid his true cravings for the drug just mere feet from him and he tried to hide the fact that his hands were shaking with need.

"'Course!" Eric barks a laugh, breathing in the smoke of the pipe again before handing it to William, grinning. "I love m'benches early in the morning!"

Greedily, William snatches the pipe and takes a long drag of the opium inside the pipe with a deep, shaking breath. Oh how he loved the way the smoke traveled through his body, seeming to uplift his sullied mood with a single hit.

Eric sits up, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him and watches his friend exhale smoke with an amused look. "Missed it, eh?" He chuckles, trying to make light of the jealousy he was feeling. He was taking it all and wasn't even sharing!

William inhales the drug for a second time, eyes closed as he savored the taste, the smell, the feelings it gave... Upon his exhale, he sinks to the ground almost weakly as his head began to feel light from the high and a bubble of laughter rises up his throat. "I missed what you said..." He hands Eric the pipe and runs a hand through his hair, moving the unnecessary bangs out of his eyes.

Eric makes a movement of disregard with his free hand and takes a long drag. As he blows out the smoke, he turns the pipe upside down and taps the ash from the opening and gazes at William with slightly bloodshot eyes. "So, 'ow're you 'n' that lass of yurs?" He questions. A usual question he normally asked out of habit.

William's eye twitches in annoyance at the mention of his "girlfriend." With a sigh, he shrugs. "I suppose she is fine. Nothing out of the ordinary," He states.

Eric lets out a disbelieving laugh.

"What?"

"Oh, 'I suppose she's fine'?"

"What about her being fine?"

"S'obvious you don' like 'er like tha'!"

"So what if I do not?"

Eric lets out another laugh and in the moment of opportunity, William snatches the pipe from his hand and quickly takes a long breath, attempting to get out of the conversation.

Eric sends William a short glare. "I would jus' dump the poor broad. She obviously isn't very good if tha's always what you say 'bout 'er!" His emerald green eyes, though cloudy slightly with drug, showed an intense point.

William suddenly lets out a laugh of realization. "You know, the only thing she ever allows me to do is kiss her maybe once on the lips for only a moment and then she pushes me away and says that -" He stands up and drops his left hip before playing with his bangs, pretending to be a girl who would twirl her finger in her hair. He then clears his throat and speaks in a high pitch. "- No, William, we have to be married!"

"Bullshit!" Eric gasps, sitting up fully now in outrage, holding his hand out for the drug.

"It's true!" He takes a short drag and hands the pipe back to Eric. "And then when we begin to argue about 'morals' I use the 'we're not even mortals!' and she says 'we have to abide by their rules though!'" William's voice changes pitches to describe who was talking and Eric almost laughs at the animated movements his normally stoic friend uses while telling the story.

Eric holds up his hands for a moment to stop William's rant. "Just dump 'er!" He snorts. "Besides, if you're feelin' lucky, there are new first-years coming~!" He smirks.

William snorts. "Like I would date a first-year. I'm normally too engrossed in work to be busy with a first-year and their... needy tendencies."

"Ha! You would if you met the right person. Things change, y'know."

"And sometimes they do not."

A depressing, irritated silence falls over the two shinigami as William takes a seat next to Eric on the bench with a huff. Eric passes his pipe to William who inhales slowly before letting a chuckle escape through his nose.

"So I heard you bedded that student-teacher just recently. What was her name?" William trails off in thought, trying to remember the woman's name.

Eric makes a dreamy hum in his throat. "Ah, she was a good one too... 'er name was Anne. She gave me a AAA fer the whole semester, claimin' that I deserved it, takin' my other grades away completely an' replacin' them with better ones. Tha's the only reason why I was able to take m'final exam."

"So you slept your way through that semester?" William turns his confused face to Eric, feeling slightly disgusted to know his friend manipulated a person. Then again, William could see himself taking to desperate measures if he had F's in all his classes. _Especially if it involved a stunning woman who could help me get all AAA's... _He thought with a dirty smirk to himself. "You're a lucky man, Slingby."

"Eh," His friend shrugs, taking his pipe back. He inhales and makes a smoke ring that quickly darts out of his mouth before dissipating into the chilled air. "I guess so," he shrugs again, blowing out the rest of the white smoke through his nose, becoming suddenly quiet. "I just want someone ta actually... _love_... I'm not... 'appy with the women I see. I even 'ad tried seein' the men as well, but no one doesn' feel quite... right."

William nods, reaching up to pat the somber Scotsman's shoulder, staring off into nothing as he said, "I know how you feel, Eric -"

"You don' know 'ow I feel, Spears!" Eric suddenly snaps, jerking his shoulder away from the other's touch.

"What I mean is that I understand." William turns his gaze slowly to Eric, voice hardening with irritation.

Eric takes a long moment to smoke, attempting to calm down. "It doesn' ma'er anyways... I 'ave to focus enough with assignments 'ere, I guess I don' need a distraction to mess things up more in tha field."

William nods again, turning to his thoughts as the silence settles in between them again for the next hour. They fall into a steady pattern: inhale, exhale, pass... inhale, exhale, pass.

In the time that they sat in silence, the bells in the clock chime twice, indicating six in the morning then seven in the morning.

To Eric, this meant his day was just about to start and he was likely going to eat breakfast and then go back to his dorm to fall quickly asleep to skip first, second and third hour, his worst classes.

To William, this meant he had ten minutes to get to the Shinigami-Fledgling Council Room to begin preparing for the new first-year's Orientation, a very busy, very chaotic event.

William gets up, brushing off his pants before nodding a farewell to Eric who was too deep in thought to notice William's departure. He then pushes his way out to the pathway and begins making his way to the Council Room. Gods how he wished he didn't have to do this. Couldn't it wait? Be postponed? He groaned to himself when he knew that would never happen.

There were more students wandering about, looking like corpses the way they trudged about. Some were a little more disheveled than others and then some where actually chatting very animatedly to their peers. One conversation being held between three fourth-year girls who were excitedly babbling about the new first-years and what kind of fledglings would they be like and as William walked by, they promptly dropped their voices to whispers, hoping that "the gorgeous President would tell them their new assigned trainees." William then pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache forming directly behind his eyes.

For a moment, he thought of the same thing, actually. He wondered what sort of new-shinigami he would get for the year. Who would they be like? Male? Female? Short, tall, funny, serious, strong, fast... A good back up in the field, a lousy worker? William was hoping to get a trainee who took their job seriously. He couldn't stand the thought of attempting to train a slacker.

As he neared the Main Wing, he paused before entering, noticing one of his teachers quickly coming near, appearing to be holding a file. Ah, yes that should be his new trainee's information.

"Mr. William!" His teacher called, pace quickening to meet the four-year.

"Yes, Mr. Lynndale?" William answers, eyeing the folder still.

"I have your file of your new fledgling, but I hate to say it, you are late to the meeting."

"I was told the meeting was at 7:10. Are you saying I had misheard the time?" William's eyes narrow, muscles bunching tightly as he prepared to run.

His teacher hands William the file and nods. "The meeting is supposed to be over in roughly five minutes. Hurry!"

"Gods -!" William grits his teeth, shoves the doors open and flits down the hallway only to suddenly slam into a brightly dressed fourth-year, who sends the two to a rolling and tumbling halt to the floor.

"Argh! Watch where you're going!" The red-clad shinigami spits, holding his head before glancing up and suddenly squealing, "William, darling~! I thought I wouldn't see you this morning!"

"Apologies, Grelle!" William staggers to his feet and dashes off. "I'm in a bit of a hurry!" He calls over his shoulder.

"Hey! Wait -!" Grelle reaches in the direction of his crush and realizes, as he glances down, William had left his fledgling-folder. With a wide, Cheshire cat grin, he reaches down intending to snoop just a little before returning the folder back to its rightful owner.

As he quickly scans over William's new trainee, his smile only grows wider. "Hm," he twirls a finger in his bright red hair absentmindedly as he studied the picture of the new fledgling. "He does have a cute face," the red haired fourth-year says to himself. "But the little brat looks like a trouble-maker. Says here in his biography that he used to be quite social and was found normally wasting his money in pubs. A well known ladies man…" Grelle chuckles gleefully. "Hard-working yet still manages to slack off… Aged nineteen before he died from a runaway carrage accident. Oh, what a cutie this one is!" He smirks before standing up, gathering the file in his arms. "Well now this is an excuse to pay my love a visit~!" He blushes and bites his lip with sharp, pointy teeth, excited for when he next sees the normally stoic and blunt shinigami-fledgling.

William on the other hand, now standing just outside the Council Room doors, breathless and slightly disheveled, swears angrily as he realizes his file fell out of his hands when he crashed into Grelle in the hallway. _Shit,_ he thought, getting angrier. _Just my luck. I am late to the first meeting of the year and I wind up losing my fledgling-folder. Gods I hope Slingby has some spare Opium... I will be definitely be needing it later on... _With a quick mental check, William straightens up, fixes his glasses and pushes open the door, hoping that he didn't miss much.

"Ah, here's the President!" A voice, who belonged to his Vise-President assistant named Theodore Thomason, calls cheerfully, his feminine voice seeming extra perky as he met the cold and a very obvious pissed gaze of William. "We're glad you could make it!"

In the Council Room there was a large, stone table shaped in a circle with the middle cut out directly in the center of the rather large, high ceilinged room. Inside the stone table there were two relatively short, mahogany podiums facing each other, meant for debates and speeches. Surrounding the table were thirteen elegant, mahogany chairs meant for the Council Members, but only two were practically thrones, made of a dark grey granite that sat at either end of the circle, facing each other as well. These chairs were stereotypically meant for the President and Vise-President of the council.

William glares coldly around the many faces of the Shinigami-Fledgling Council, all still standing, not daring to make a sound or movement. They all flinched in reaction to the icy stare being given. William can't help but smirk darkly.

"So, I believe I was told the wrong time of the meeting," He says, voice eerily soft and gentle. If it wasn't for the dark smirk, it wouldn't have been so... _menacing._ "Care to explain to me exactly why that is?"

"W-we were running ahead of s-schedule!" A second-year says, voice trembling. "We thought we could hold the meeting earlier!"

"And no one cared to update me?"

"You weren't in your dorm..." A third-year drops her head, nervous.

"Ah, that was my mistake. I had... business to take care of early this morning, you see."

It goes silent again, the room growing heavy and almost cold with the fear radiating from the Council Members. Theodore knew better though and he quickly straightens the papers in front of him before deciding to break the sinister silence.

He clears his throat. "Well, I suppose we should get on with the meeting. We're running just a little behind now..." His green eyes glance at the clock above the doors and his face takes a serious look. He didn't want to run behind schedule.

"Yes, we should," William agrees, walking slowly and deliberately to his seat opposite of Theodore's. As he passed by each Council Member, they dropped their heads, intimidated by the four-year and his very obvious anger.

"By the way," Theodor says right as William sits rather heavily into his designated chair.

The President sinks a little in the seat and places his elbow on the armrest while he slowly rests his cheek on his fist, a bored expression forming as he met his assistant's eyes. William silently dreaded what was to come out of Thomas's mouth next and he braced himself. _Please say I didn't miss anything! _He pleaded mentally.

"I hate to say this..." The assistant shifts his weight uneasily, noticing the sudden fear spiking in the air.

"Get on with it," William waves on, sighing, ignoring the feeling of dread he had.

"You missed _a lot_."

An angry laugh suddenly escapes the President and he doubles over for a moment, tears running down his face as he cackled like a mad-man.

"_Wonderful!_"


	3. Formalities Aside

**My apologies for such a slow update! I have been meaning to get chapter two up and running but it wasn't happening the way it should have. Damn you writer's block! I also apologize for this chapter's really long paragraphs... Seriously, they're pretty big. Anyhow, chapter two!**

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_Ah, it's almost time to start Orientation for the new students_... A stressed, irritable William thought, eyes becoming unfocussed as he fell back into his brooding mind, a scowl etching deep into his face. He was currently still sitting in his chair in the Council Room and was slowly sinking lower and lower in the seat with each passing minute, as though the stress was pulling his body down like it was a heavy gravity. He dreaded the time when it was up to him to keep the order in the utter chaos that would soon ensue, even more so when the new fledglings start panicking when they find out _the big news_. William had to admit, when he found out all those years back when he was a fledgling, he himself did somewhat panic, though was more composed despite how troubling it was to know he was, in a sense, deceased.

_My, what a nightmare, _he thought, letting his head fall back as he loudly groaned to himself, picturing a field full young women and men losing their minds, unable to find any other words to describe his predicament.

The other Student Council members had left the room soon after Theodore had updated the President on the Orientation situation, which had left William not only stressed but utterly _pissed_. To top it all off, he had accidently dropped his fledgling's folder, the very thing he was supposed to have not five days before hand so that he could learn the basics of his new apprentice and hopefully get some insight on what teaching methods to use. And, when he had literally ran into his ex-final exam partner due to the reason that the Council had started earlier than the time he had set previously, he had a very strong feeling that the very nosy Grell had not only possessed the important papers but had let the curiosity get the best of him and snooped, causing the stress to not only skyrocket into the stars but soar into another dimension.

So, naturally, William did the thing he was best at; silently brooding in a chair and waiting for the perfect moment to clean up the mess that was laid out before him, scowling into empty space.

But something else was bothering him that seemed to divert his attention elsewhere, though it was completely irrelevant to the actual matter at hand. Theodore had handed a sealed envelope to William before the meeting with a serious look before returning to his chair. William opened it quickly and scanned the papers within the packet, realizing quickly that they were not papers but files, and attached to them were pictures of... murder scenes. Gruesome murder scenes. Four to be exact. An instructor and three students. The only correlation of the murders was that the students were said to be a trio of friends. Besides that, the murder itself was so messy and the bodies were so mangled that it was nearly impossible to identify them. To identify what the killer had used, or attempting to even _find_ the killer was proven to be absolutely impossible... The killer left no finger prints, no clues, no matter how hard the Shinigami guards searched the bodies and the murders were so out of the blue that no sense could be made of it or even _why_ the killer chose those people in the first place.

Death was not uncommon in the Academy. It was an occupational-hazard as a Death God. At times, Shinigami can develop the torturous disease called the Thorns of Death. It was said it only developed if a body was weak and not prepared to handle the intermediate state between the Afterlife and the human world, a rejection of sorts to being Resurrected. Other times, it was said that it was developed in the heart due to the large amounts of pity and sympathy felt during a reaping if one was not used to the fact that Shinigami have to actually maim the body of the dying in order to release the Cinematic Record, the precious and most important part of a soul.

William then had pulled Theodore to the side during the middle of the meeting, making everyone stare wide-eyed and William leaned in and whispered quickly into the other's ear, asking about the victims' Cinematic Records and if they found anything. Theodore shook his head and replied with: "They were tampered with. All we saw of the killer was a shrouded mass, even the weapon that was used was unable to be identified." William let out a long breath, trying to make sense of it.

As the two returned to the table, Theodore had handed one more folder to William containing a single piece of paper that made it clear that only a handful of people knew about the murder and that William had to sign for confidentiality and secrecy at the bottom. Without a second thought, the troubled Council member signed with a flick of his wrist and returned the folder to Theodore directly after the meeting was over, sinking back into his seat as he watched the rest of the Council leave through the double doors.

_And that all happened half an hour ago? _William made a small face to himself in annoyance, eye twitching behind his wire-framed lenses, glancing to the clock over the doors. _The Orientation starts at 9:00, and it is already 8:43_...

"I suppose I should go looking for Grell," William speaks into an empty room, voice echoing off the walls as he attempted at heaving himself out of the chair with a large amount of reluctance holding him back and keeping him seated in the chair. In his mind though, he knew that nothing got done if one sat back and did nothing. He had to take charge, that was his job after all as Shinigami-Fledgling President of the Council.

Just then, the room's doors swing wide open, clanging loudly against the walls from the force and Theodore comes rushing in, papers flying behind him, dark-purple hair in all directions and he looked very winded.

"William!" He shouts out, eyes wide and panicky as the President himself comes to full attention, worry and stress starting to spike back up again. "William, thank Gods you're still here!"

William eyes the many folders in his peer's arms. "What are those?" He questions. "Don't tell me they're what I think they are, Thomason..." There was a hint of a warning underneath his cautious tone.

Theodore's green eyes, wide with panic, attempt to look anywhere but at William, guilt washing over his pale face.

Without a word, William quickly gets up out of his seat and crosses the room eerily fast as he snatches the many folders out of the arms of Theodore, opening each and searching for names of assigned instructors.

"Right then," He nods curtly, gathering up the folders in a neat stack. "I will handle the problem, Thomason, thank you."

Theodore is taken aback. "W-what?" He stutters. "I'm confused-"

William turns and faces his subordinate, face impossible to read. "I will handle it. Now get back to preparations. I'm sure the fledglings are getting fidgety waiting all this morning."

"Y-yes, right... o-okay." Theodore nods and quickly runs back out of the room, William following behind at a slow, deliberate pace, steeling himself as he prepared to step out onto a podium to face a new class of two-hundred and fifty.

_And those are just the first years..._ William gritted his teeth slightly, not pleased in the slightest on the rising numbers because, as a student, he wanted to get to classes quickly and efficiently, without having to push or gently shove people out of the way. Now, he was most likely going to have to have to force people in the right direction and have to suffer insufferable personal space invasion. He may even become late to his classes and being late, by any means, is _highly _unacceptable in his eyes. As an almost fully fledged Shinigami, however, the rising numbers was a good thing because that meant more people working and less overtime later on, as well shorter hours, easier missions and all in all, less work, something that everyone appreciated, even William himself.

William stops walking for a moment, coming to a halt in front of the large, ornate doors that lead to the large expanse of grass and stone garden, the place where both new and old students are waiting for the commencement of a new school year. He runs a free hand through his spiky hair and fixes his glasses on his nose before straitening his tie. With a low, quick breath, he then takes a pace forward and pushes the large doors open, sunlight blinding him for only a moment as he steps onto a cement pathway.

Outside, it was beginning to warm. It was a clear, sunny day with no clouds in sight, and a light breeze carried the scents of grass and the sounds of mild chatter and laughter once and a while. It was a nice feeling as it brushed against William's face as he stepped behind the dark, cherry wood podium in front of him, taking note that teachers that were available this morning were all standing behind him, a few conversing, but most lined up neatly in a horizontal line against the wall. He noticed one of his own instructors had his arms crossed, looking bored and irritated as his eyes tightened when he looked at William's back.

Once William's eyes adjusted, he was able to gaze out onto the many new faces sitting and standing before him. Some faces were tan, others pale. Hair colors ranged from dark browns and blacks to lighter browns, even blonde here and there, an uncommon color for London. Some of the new fledglings appeared to be already matured, mostly young men, who appeared to be already well built and filled out, some growing dark stubble on their jaw or chin. The large group as a whole seemed to have impressively good chemistry together, much to William's surprise. His Orientation was very quiet and shy, but here, each new student was talking with one another, laughing, smiling, some even having a large circle of people all conversing together. There was only one or two individuals, William noticed, that only were sitting, picking at the grass beneath them, looking scared and shy. To William's direct right, were his fifth-year classmen, sitting maturely in their seats, chatting quietly amongst themselves, occasionally glancing or gesturing to the large group of "newbies," as quote from one of the fifth-years, with a smirk. The two classes were kept separate, only due to the fact that in the past, many fifth-years enjoyed making tall tales to scare the new fledglings, sometimes even causing fights for boasting on final exam scores, or strength. Other times, the fifth-years told very important and dangerous secrets to the first-years, eventually getting the younger ones into trouble because of the terrible curiosity they would suffer, such as searching for "real" Cinematic Records, special spells used for changing appearances or names, and "real" Death Scythes, hence the swift segregation of the two classes. But today, everything seemed to be going smoothly, despite the mishaps, especially the delivery of the fledgling folders that didn't happen to a handful of other Shinigami fifth-years.

As William stepped up the to the podium, he spoke quickly, but loudly into the microphone. "Everyone, please take your seats, we will begin Orientation momentarily."

Right as he said the words, everyone began immediately quieting down and taking available seats.

"Mr. William," William's in-the-field instructor said, tapping the young man on the shoulder, staring widely at the folders beneath William's hands that only appeared to be only resting on the podium to others. "Are those...?" He kept staring at the files, starting to worry, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

William turned around to meet the polychrome green eyes of the instructor with a small, stiff smile. "They are," He confirmed, nodding slowly. "They are the folders that did not get delivered."

"Then we have a problem!"

"We do not," William said smoothly. "I already have it under control."

"Oh do you now," The instructor challenged, narrowing his eyes. "You are only a student. Leave it to us teachers, William. You are treading dangerous waters-"

William held up his hand, palm up. "I assure you, I have all of this handled. Do not take me as a weakling for work, you of all people should know, Mr. Young." He then turned around, effectively ending the conversation.

The instructor, Mr. Young, snorted and crossed his arms with a shaking of his head, having a strong feeling that William was going to fail at commencing the new year. He always had a feeling the boy didn't have the potential the working force needed, though was slightly surprised when word got out that the he had passed his final exam.

William then cleared his throat and looked out towards the many new students of the Academy, a very small smirk pulling the corners of his lips upward slightly.

"Before we begin," William started, turning his attention to the fifth-years all seated, looking a little confused. "I have a few quick announcements."

The fifth-year fledglings murmured amongst themselves, becoming more confused.

"First off," William said, glancing down at the files beneath his hands. "Some of you do not have the appropriate folders today that _should_ have been delivered to you five days previously, but were not due to sudden events. So, with my apologies from myself and the Shinigami-Fledgling Council, I shall take this time to quickly pass them out myself. When you hear your name, please come forward and accept your folders."

The ordeal only lasted roughly five minutes and as William called up the last folder, he attempted to hold back a smirk. "Eric Slingby," He called, watching his friend stand up ruefully. Eric made a face from hearing the sniggering and snide remarks of the people behind him.

Eric walked forward, attempting to be composed though it was proving difficult. William could see that the Scotsman was worried, nervous, and that there was a hint of fear flickering in his wide eyes. William stepped forward to meet the other with a arm outstretched, hand gently holding a simple, beige folder containing Eric's final assessment.

"M'worried, Will," Eric whispered, trying to not look at the folder, showing his uneasiness. "Wha' if-"

"You will be fine." William said sternly, turning back to his podium, nodding as Eric walked back to his seat slowly.

"I also have one more announcement. Grell Sutcliffe, please step forward."

William's eyes tightened as the flamboyant Grell squeals and stands up, his razor sharp smile growing ever wider when William pinched the bridge of his nose as he felt a headache coming on.

"I do believe you have an extra folder, Mr. Sutcliffe. I would ask that you please return that folder to me." William held out his hand expectantly, stepping from the podium.

Grell's face flushes as he flirtatiously smiles. "Oh~! You always knew how to read my mind, my dearest!"

William sighs. "Please just hand it over," He says tiredly. "We're behind schedule enough."

"Darling, we only need but a few moments together~." Grell's smile shifts to a dirty smirk and he sinks his teeth gently into his bottom lip.

"Mr. Sutcliffe!" William snaps. "I appreciate the effort for giving the folder back to its rightful owner." He roughly takes the file and sets it on the surface of the podium. "Return to your seat immediately."

Grell skips away, a "So cold~!" reaching William's ears.

"Now then," William addressed the crowd once more, fixing his glasses on his nose. "I am sure some of you are wondering why you are here this morning. I do believe some of you have already finished college or schooling in general and are wondering why you are here, but this is not a school of mortal education." He paused when a few students in the front row began to voice their confusions softly to the others around them. "This is the elite Shinigami school known as The Academy."

"Shinigami? As in _the_ Shinigami? Like... death?" A girl in the front row whispered loudly to the boy beside her, who gave a nervous nod. The word seemed to ripple through the crowd and echo in William's ears.

"There are going to be many questions that you will want to ask, and we have many instructors and professors who will be happy to answer, should you go asking. But there is one thing you all must understand and accept. Due to you being in a realm where you can see Death Gods and be able to communicate with them, who are in a sense, deceased and non-living, that means that you too, are also deceased."

"What?!" A young man shouts out in the back. There was a sudden rise in volume as all of the new students began to panic, the usual 'I don't want to be dead!' and 'Why?!' sentences rising above the rest.

"Quiet, the lot of you!" Mr. Young shouts to the crowd. Instantly, the volume decreased and though some students were crying, they managed to muffle their noises and seek comfort from a peer quietly.

"Thank you, Mr. Young." William acknowledges the gruff instructor with a nod. "You see, you have been chosen to be Resurrected, a process of death known as the Afterlife. Here, in this state you will help pass on the souls of the dying, though not right away-" William watched the crowd physically relax at the words "-you will need to be properly educated and trained and that is where The Academy comes in. For roughly five years, you will learn proper combat, defense and soul collecting with the Field Instructors. For knowledge such as different types of souls, reading and analyzing Cinematic Records, learning about demons, angels, otherworldly beings and the history of Shinigami you will learn from our Professors. The Academy is run like a school, with six classes starting from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon with a study hall at midday. Breakfast will be served from six a.m. to eight a.m. Lunch is served at noon during study hall and dinner is at six through roughly nine o'clock into the evening. Curfews are posted at dormitory doors and for all first-years, along with second and third years, are not allowed to leave their dorms between six a.m. and nine-thirty p.m. under any circumstances. Depending on the severity of disobeying any of the rules - which you will learn and memorize quickly later today - will result in equal amount of punishment, ranging from an hour or two of detention to days of IHS; In House Suspension with some sort of labor-work along the side."

William's eyes swept over the new students like a hawk, watching as each first-year glanced around warily, some challenging, defensive, others nervous as each young individual seemed to gauge one another.

"Now, as Shinigami-Fledgling Student Council President," William said, bring back their attention. "It is my duty to present you your new partners for the year. As fifth-years, this means that we are one step closer to working at the Library, the place where most all respectable shinigami want to be, for working wise. For the first years, this means you are to be easily introduced to the complex system known as the Afterlife with a close peer and hopefully learn well and train hard to become part of the Dispatch Society, which you will learn more about later on today." William glances to the fifth-years at his right, noticing how they were slowly getting more antsy as he continued to talk then turns his attention back to the first-years. "This is how this is going to work," He says. "Your partner, whomever that may be, will come and find you, so try and not move around too much. They will also be the same gender as you, so for females, you will have a female partner. Same goes for males. They will have with them important documents regarding who you once were in your previous life, what your traits are like, a synopsis on what you did as a young adult and child, who your parents were, a picture of you and your name. These are the Higher Ups' documents and should be treated as such, so for privacy and your personal safety, first-years, I advise you to not go snooping to see what was said about yourself, or any other important information. Should any of you disobey, punishment will be distributed accordingly. Once you and your partner have met, please feel free to socialize for a few minutes to get to know one another. Afterwards, fifth-years, should you feel like it, give a one-on-one tour about the grounds, answer any questions and be sure to help your partner retrieve their class schedule, perhaps a map as well. Lunch is currently being prepared in the Dining Hall and will be served at noon. Curfew for all students is eight o'clock this evening and as for sleeping arrangements, fifth-years and first-years shall be sharing the same dorm-room in their respective dormitories. Should you have any problems, the Student Council will be open tomorrow afternoon, please leave your name and dorm-room number on a piece of parchment and leave it in the box that will be resting on the table. Your problem and or complaint will be addressed the next morning." With a quick breath, William then began collecting his own folder, preparing to step of the podium.

"Now then, everyone," He said into the microphone. "Myself, your new classmates, our Instructors and Professors all give you a warm welcome to The Academy. Train hard, do great things, strive to excel and most of all, welcome to your new life." William bows slightly, hearing the echoing of 'welcomes' from the line of teachers behind him and from the fifth-years as well.

As he stepped from behind the podium, he was surprised to hear the sound of applause from the first-years and turned a slightly startled gaze to the students who were actually quite enthusiastically cheering for their Fledgling President. A small smile unknowingly made its way to William's face and he felt a little pleased from such a sound.

"Oi! Will!" Eric called, weaving through the fifth-years that were approaching the first-years, some already shaking hands with their new partner. Grell was attempting to follow behind him but was getting caught in the mess.

"Yes, Eric?" William turns to his right, hand fiddling slightly with his folder. He was feeling a little - though he hated to admit it - giddy again. The thought of becoming a partner with a total stranger did, in fact, make him nervous.

"Mr. William," Mr. Young said smoothly, diverting the young man's attention from his friend. There was something in Mr. Young's eyes that made William's blood boil just a small amount. Was it amusement? Sarcasm? He couldn't tell.

"Yes, Mr. Young?" William tried to keep his tone neutral.

Mr. Young held out his large, vein-topped hand, a rather convincing smile on his stubbled-face, green eyes glittering somewhat darkly. "I must say, you did a _splendid _job," He says, voice seemingly congratulatory. "Well done."

William's eye twitches. "I appreciate your support, sir." He says back, face unreadable as he unwillingly takes the instructor's outstretched hand.

Immediately, his hand is crushed in a dangerous grip. In reaction, William automatically tries to pull his hand away from the other's, glaring into the smirking eyes of his superior.

"It's just a handshake, boy, no need to be so jumpy about it," He smirks, before letting go and turning to enter the building, following a few other teachers.

William tucks the folder underneath his arm, staring confusedly at the door in which his instructor left through, rubbing his slightly sore hand.

"What's 'is problem?" Eric said as he approached, having seen and hear the whole conversation as he raised an eyebrow at the door.

William shook his head. "I do not know."

"'e could definitely use some pipe. Should I invite 'im to a mornin' with us?" He elbowed his confused friend with a bark of laughter.

William snorted quietly.

"Whatever is the problem, my dears?" Grell skipping up to stand next to his dear William, resting his hand on his cocked hip, folder dangling between his other fingers.

"'e jus' said he din't know," Eric sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Let us just get on with today, shall we?" William suggested. "I must read this folder quickly. My partner is waiting."

"Ooh!" Grell giggled. "Your _partner_ is waiting~! That's almost dirty! I never knew you'd let your _partner_ wait for you!" He gave a wink, to which William responded with a slap to the back of Grell's flame colored head. Hard.

With a sigh, he opened up his folder as both Eric and Grell wandered off to go find their own partners. It only took a few moments for him to scan over the file and was pleased to see he was a hard worker and that he was charismatic but...

_Still manages to slack off?_ William thought disdainfully. _A ladies man who spent his free time in pubs...Honestly. _William disliked pubs somewhat. He could appreciate them though and he had to admit, letting loose and having fun with good music and alcohol was better than doing work but he had priorities and that was to become a Shinigami, with a brand new pair of spectacles and an actual scythe along with a well paying Dispatch job. Getting drunk itself was indeed, better than working, but how would that get him to his goals? Getting good grades was worth never going out since that meant he would be guaranteed a job in the future. The only time he relaxed was with the help of Eric's opium filled mornings and those were slowly starting to stop due to fall fast approaching. It was getting too cold and windy for the two's liking and he knew they would get caught if they smoked inside. It was a far too noticeable scent.

_Well then,_ He thought, sighing while closing the folder. _Where to begin looking for a said ladies-man?_ William smirked to himself. He knew exactly where he could find him.

As William weaved throughout the crowd of people, he didn't have to look hard for his new trainee. As expected, he was surrounded by multiple young women and a few men, all laughing at once as a joke was told.

"So, who all here noticed the guy with red hair? I'm seriously thrown off by this guy! I'm not sure what to make of it, ha-ha!" The said ladies-man laughed, addressing the group as a whole. His smile was full with straight, white teeth and his hair and oddly two-toned with blonde on top and a dark brown, almost black underneath and on the back of his neck. It was slightly messy with a persistent curl sticking almost directly upwards between the parting of his hair. He had on casual clothes - a white button up shirt and black trousers - save for the pearly white oxfords on his feet. His eyes were a bright, boyish blue and his attitude seemed cheery and boyish as well, as though he was still a young teenager. By the way he acted, William knew he wasn't as old mentally as he was physically but he was up for the challenge of trying to train this kid.

"I think he's a she! Did you see the curves on their body?" Someone replied to the boy, more laughter following.

"'She' is most definitely a male, but your superior nonetheless," William said, pushing through the circle of people slightly, the laughter subsiding from the group as the tall, dark student's deep voice entered the conversation. "I apologize for interrupting, I am looking for my trainee." he stated.

"So serious!" The boy smirked, running a free hand through his golden hair, that boyish arrogance coming back. "Who's the guy you're lookin' for?" He cocked his head and stared into William's eyes with his own bright blue ones, looking genuinely curious.

"Actually..." William checks his trainee's file once more then lifted his head and tucked it underneath his arm. "I am looking for you, Mr. Ronald Knox," He says boldly. "I am your new partner, William T. Spears."

Ronald is taken aback for a moment and stared blankly at William's offered hand, but shrugs it off and smiles up at William kindly. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Will,"

The two shake hands and William was finding it difficult to not smile back. Odd. "I would prefer you call me 'William,' if you don't mind, Mr. Knox."

Instantly Ronald corrects himself. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, William," His smile never faltered as he laughed off the mistake. "But with all the formalities aside, _then _can I call you 'Will'?"

The older boy's face remained stoic. "We are not friends, Mr. Knox, so I believe you cannot call me what you wish."

"Right, right, things have to be earned around here, don't they?" Ronald sighs, feeling disappointed his charm didn't work like it should have.

_Is that what you think?_ William muttered in his head. "Let us find somewhere we can talk amongst ourselves, come." William instructed, gesturing for the younger to follow, wanting nothing more than to go back to his dorm and away from so many other people. Ronald however made a face behind William's back at the blunt order, feeling like this whole 'partner' thing wasn't going to work out the way he thought it would.


End file.
